All posts by : İNGEV

Our ‘Local Impact’ workshops continued in collaboration with Beykoz Municipality.

Since March, we have conducted social inclusion workshops in collaboration with Eyüpsultan, Sultanbeyli, Fatih, Sultangazi, Ataşehir, Beşiktaş, Kadıköy, and Beykoz Municipalities, focusing on the following three main topics:

1- Identifying different needs groups in the districts and determining the basic needs of these groups.

2- Determining the most effective or innovative supports that the municipality can provide for these groups and making improvements to existing programs.

3- Enhancing the impact of existing social assistance and support programs for these groups and further developing cooperation with civil society organizations.

Dısadvantaged Groups In Beykoz

➤ Seniors aged 65+, especially those over 80 living alone and their family members who care for them.

➤ Mothers with children aged 0-4 due to the shortage of nurseries.

➤ Residents of Beykoz villages facing challenges in accessing education, digital resources, and employment.

➤ Women at home (NEET Women – Not in Education, Employment, or Training).

➤ Individuals with disabilities.

➤ Substance abusers and their families.

➤ Similar intersecting groups, as in every district, are generally the most disadvantaged groups in Beykoz.

+ Stray animals.

Maın Focus Areas In Beykoz

• Increasing municipal support for the financing and governance of associations for people with disabilities, expanding the services provided to these associations, and meeting property needs.
• Developing socialization areas for mothers with children due to the shortage of nurseries, increasing the number of nurseries within the municipality’s borders, and thereby ensuring equal access to the workforce for women and men.
• Providing therapy support to families with disabled members and offering disaster awareness training.
• Utilizing vacant village schools in Beykoz, purchasing these properties from the special administration and treasury, and converting them into living centers and schools that offer more affordable education.
• Conducting workshops focused on independent living skills for those who are no longer in education and are part of the labor force.
• Organizing a more inclusive and international stem cell seminar in 2023 for the early detection of disabilities.
• Designating neighborhood representatives from animal lovers and increasing communication with the municipality specifically regarding the situation of stray animals.
• Localizing data through neighborhood-based mapping and institutionalizing the municipality’s memory through data collection.
• Adopting a rights-based approach that extends beyond aid-based services to universal services that include everyone (e.g., sidewalks, guide paths, ramps for transportation).
• Localizing employment offices that actively operate in metropolitan and provincial municipalities within district municipalities and developing innovative and feasible solutions to unemployment within their borders.

Our workshops will continue with other district municipalities in Istanbul in the coming weeks.

Our “Local Impact” workshops continued in collaboration with Kadıköy Municipality.

Since March, we have been focusing on three main topics in the social inclusion workshops held in Eyüpsultan, Sultanbeyli, Fatih, Sultangazi, Ataşehir, Beşiktaş, and Kadıköy Municipalities.

Identifying different groups with varying needs in the districts and determining the basic needs of these groups.

The most effective or innovative supports that the municipality can offer to these groups and possible improvements in existing programs.

Enhancing the impact of current social aid and support programs for these groups and further developing cooperation with non-governmental organizations.

DISADVANTAGED GROUPS

Kadıköy is the municipality with the oldest population in Istanbul, so the +65 age group, especially those living alone;

Families with low socio-economic status (specific parts of Dumlupınar, Merdivenköy, Fikirtepe, and Sahrayıcedid neighborhoods)

Similar intersecting groups in each district (children with special needs and their families, individuals with disabilities, those affected by the climate crisis) are generally the most disadvantaged groups in Kadıköy municipality.

Additional note: Street animals and issues specific to industrial animal husbandry/food safety/animal rights, particularly poultry.

MAIN FOCUS POINTS

✅ Developing intervention mechanisms for the problems of groups with different needs by focusing on the “prevention” notion of municipalities.

✅ Establishing specialized centers for these groups (e.g., “high-risk infants”, family counseling centers focused on autism)

✅ Localizing data through neighborhood-based mapping and institutionalizing the municipal memory via data collection.

✅ Increasing the number of kindergartens within municipal boundaries to ensure women have equal access to the workforce as men.

✅ Creating a rights-based, universal service approach that includes everyone, not based on aid (such as sidewalks, guide paths, ramps for transportation).

✅ Creating a transparent mechanism among district municipalities where good practice examples are shared, regardless of political stance.

✅ Increasing collaborations between municipalities, NGOs, and universities through joint project application structures.

✅ Localizing employment offices that are actively serving in metropolitan and provincial municipalities for district municipalities and developing innovative and applicable solutions for unemployment within their boundaries.

✅ Given the critical importance of food safety today, municipalities should carry out special studies to end the production and consumption of caged eggs.

Our workshops will continue with other district municipalities in Istanbul in the coming weeks.

Our ‘Local Impact’ workshops continued in collaboration with Beşiktaş Municipality.

In these idea development workshops, we address critical topics to ensure the more active participation of sensitive groups and disadvantaged individuals from all segments of society in urban life.

We focused on the following three main topics in the social inclusion workshops held in Eyüpsultan, Sultanbeyli, Fatih, Sultangazi, Ataşehir, and Beşiktaş Municipalities:

1. Identifying disadvantaged groups in the districts and determining their basic needs.
2. The most effective or innovative supports that the municipality can offer to these groups and potential improvements in existing programs.
3. Enhancing the impact of existing social aid and support programs for these groups and further developing cooperation with non-governmental organizations.

DISADVANTAGED GROUPS

• Beşiktaş is the second district municipality with the oldest population in Istanbul (after Kadıköy), hence +65 and +65 living alone;
• University students struggling with urban poverty and housing issues;
• Families with low socio-economic status (such as those in Karanfilköy and Türkali);
• Similar intersectional clusters (women, disabled, +65) as in every district are generally the most disadvantaged groups in Beşiktaş Municipality.

MAIN FOCUS POINTS

• Localizing data with neighborhood-based mapping (socio-economic status can vary significantly from neighborhood to neighborhood),
• Breaking the perception of “we are young” and developing more inclusive social policies for the +65 age group,
• Constructing a women’s shelter,
• Finding a solution to the dormitory problem for the high number of university students due to the presence of 9 universities within the boundaries of Beşiktaş,
• The lack of experts among municipal staff, utilizing the technical expertise of NGOs through civil society cooperation,
• Implementing elderly care and basic health literacy education for the +65 age group,
• Establishing an Equality Unit that will ensure more comprehensive gender equality projects and more actively working on them.

Our workshops will continue in the coming weeks with other district municipalities in Istanbul.

At the launch of the İNGEV GDM Portal, which will provide free and market-aligned services to everyone who wants to develop themselves in entrepreneurship and employment, especially disadvantaged groups, İNGEV President Vural Çakır spoke:

“The İNGEV GDM portal will be kept constantly updated with new educational videos, monthly webinars, and workshops. It will be available for free use. It is financed by İNGEV’s internal resources. We always need partnerships and support.”

At the launch, İNGEV Board Member Renan Burduroğlu, who demonstrated the Portal’s demo, said:

“If you have training videos and similar content that you have developed but are no longer sure about their usability, you can contact us and ensure they are utilized. Together, we can make it a central platform that enhances the livelihoods of vulnerable groups.”

İNGEV Livelihoods Coordinator E. Merve Yağmuroğlu moderated a panel titled “Employment Opportunities and Entrepreneurship for Vulnerable Groups.”

Nazmiye Altındaş Balkani, Adecco Turkiye Operations Director:

“To increase employment opportunities for vulnerable groups, more inclusive and sustainable social policies that enhance employability need to be implemented. This involves understanding in which sectors vulnerable groups can be more productive.”

Arzu Karaarslan Azizoğlu, Coordinator of UNDP Turkey Local Economic Development Projects:

“We must support the entire entrepreneurship ecosystem. We need to enhance the institutional capacity that will open the way for entrepreneurship. We must ensure that small businesses, especially in the earthquake-affected 11 provinces, do not leave. More importantly, we should focus on increasing employment in the provinces they are located in.”

Don’t forget to visit the portal:
https://ingevgdm.org

In these workshops, we address critical topics to ensure more effective participation of disadvantaged individuals from all segments of society in urban life.

We focused on three main issues in the social inclusion workshops held in the municipalities of Eyüpsultan, Sultanbeyli, Fatih, Sultangazi, and Ataşehir.

1. Identifying disadvantaged groups in the districts and determining their basic needs.
2. The most effective or innovative supports the municipality can offer to these groups and possible improvements in existing programs.
3. Increasing the impact of existing social aid and support programs for these groups and further developing cooperation with civil society organizations.

Roma citizens, women, individuals aged 65+ living alone, and disabled individuals are generally the most disadvantaged groups in Ataşehir Municipality, similar to other districts.

The main focus points include the representation of Roma citizens within Ataşehir, ensuring Roma children have equal access to educational opportunities like their peers, integrating individuals aged 65+ into social life without leaving their living spaces, establishing neighborhood-based social service units, localizing data, and empowering women by raising awareness among men.

Our workshops will continue with other district municipalities in Istanbul in the coming weeks.